Several carriers say agency use of real-time rating and policyinquiry transactions doubled in 2007, a year after a coalition ofinsurance industry groups launched a campaign to improve theefficiency of electronic communication between agents and theirinsurers.

Among those reporting significant increases in the use ofreal-time transactions by independent agents were Chicago-basedCNA, Peerless Insurance (a Liberty Mutual Agency Markets companybased in Keene, N.H.), and Westfield Insurance, headquartered inWestfield Center, Ohio.

The Real Time/Download Campaign reports that CNA's independentagent real-time usage rose 10-to-15 percent a month after thecarrier embarked on an aggressive implementation and communicationprogram last year. The carrier is continuing to work with agents todrive usage.

CNA also has the ability to identify when an agency has atechnology problem, and then call them to work out the issue,Barbara Flanigan, CNA's vice president of commercial insurance,noted in a statement.

Peerless Insurance met its goal to double the number oftransactions in 2007, according to a Peerless representative, DeeDee Forte, who noted that more than 300,000 real-time transactionswere completed by year's end.

Westfield Insurance said usage more than doubled, with a 105percent increase over the course of 2007.

“These preliminary numbers indicate we're making inroadsindustrywide to help agents, brokers, vendors and carriers improveworkflows by using real-time and download,” Lisa Parry Becker, theReal Time/Download Campaign co-chair, said in a statement. Ms.Becker is also vice president of sales and marketing at William B.Parry Agency in Langhorne, Pa., as well as a director of ASCnet,the Applied Systems user group.

“The investments of time and money made by so many in ourindustry are clearly making a difference in how we run ourorganizations, serve our customers and position the independentagency system for continued success and growth,” added co-chairMartha Williamson, assistant vice president of automation andworkflow training at Old National Insurance in Danville, Ill., aswell as past president of the AMS Users' Group.

The aim of the Real Time/Download Campaign is to make agentsaware of a workflow approach that frees up more time to sell,process and service business.

The campaign does not advocate a specific technology or vendor,but relies on a broad coalition of carriers, agency managementsystem vendors and state agent associations to boost awareness ofthe tools already contained in agency management and comparativerating systems.

The campaign itself is gaining momentum, Jeff Yates, executivedirector of the Agents Council for Technology, told NationalUnderwriter. Financial support is strong, he noted, with 20sponsors on board. He added that a growing number of agents arebringing the subject up at association meetings.

The goals of the organization have not changed from a year ago,he said. The campaign is encouraging more real-time sessions atstate association meetings, where representatives from agencymanagement system vendors, comparative rating firms and carriersdemonstrate the ease and functionality of real-time technology.

The aim of the demonstrations is to make agents aware of theimpact real time can have on their business and why adapting theirsystems to incorporate tech-enhanced standard operating proceduresis so important to their bottom lines.

ACORD, the insurance standards association, will meet with smalland regional carriers later this year to help facilitate wideradoption of real-time technology, according to Mr. Yates.

Improving the quality of the online transaction experience willget a major push this year, according to Mr. Yates, who noted that“like any new technology, it continues to be refined.”

For example, carriers will be asking agents to help troubleshootthe system by letting them know about errors promptly, so as toeliminate a repeat of such problems.

To get more agents to use real-time technology, the coalitionwill seek to expand capabilities. This includes the ability todownload motor vehicle registration information to turn aroundquotes quickly and more accurately, while also enhancing ratingsystems on the commercial lines side.

“We are on target, but not ahead of where we want to be,”observed Mr. Yates. “A lot of us who are active in this are prettyimpatient. Keeping in mind how long it took personal lines downloadto happen, to get it to work, we are happy with [where weare].”